Beware the Claws of Destiny
by blue artemis
Summary: Crookshanks helps Hermione find her true love.


"Nicely done, Miss Granger."

"Thank you, Master," she replied with a smile.

"That's the final bit of work necessary for me to sign off on your Potions' Mastery, my dear. A topical truth serum will circumvent all the new laws about Veritaserum being equal to Imperious. Now you can go celebrate," Master Ibrizzi was surprised when Hermione's face fell. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing really, sir. It is just that my boyfriend won't be too happy about this. He just got cut from the Chudley Cannons, and well, a success for me is going to make him unhappy," she answered.

"You may want to rethink your relationship, my dear. Someone who is truly in love with you would never make your accomplishments dependent on his," Master Ibrizzi stated.

Hermione answered with a wry smile. "Oh, I know. But since this may be a break-up, I certainly don't want to be the one starting it. I just wish I knew why he keeps dragging this relationship on and on. I feel so much guilt, I just can't bring myself to break up with him."

Andrea Ibrizzi shook his head. _For__ such __a __smart __girl __she__ can __be __such __an __idiot __some__times__. __Good __thing __I__ planned __a__ week__-__long __celebration __for __her__. __That __boy __better __behave__. __Eh__. __He__'__s __close __enough __to__ being __a__ student __to __obey__ my__ letter__._

Neither one noticed Crookshanks sitting in the corner of the laboratory. The wise old familiar snatched one of the vials and sent it crashing to the floor, making certain his paws and claws were saturated. He sauntered out of the room and almost willed himself into Hermione's flat. There he found his prey.

As usual, Ron had started drinking fairly early. He knew Hermione was bound to be getting her Mastery, and that made him want to hit something. _Not __her__, __never __her__._ He loved her too much, just not the way that everyone wanted him to. No, he loved someone else quite a bit more. Unfortunately a badly worded good-bye with his mother ended up binding him in a Vow. One of _those_ Vows. Until Hermione let him go of her own volition he couldn't move on. Molly knew who he really loved and refused to free him from her Vow. And he was going to have to deal with a house full of guests, according to the letter from Master Ibrizzi. He strode around the house searching for something satisfying to break, but didn't have the heart to break anything Hermione liked. Ron saw a shadow on the ground that he wasn't expecting. He looked down and saw Hermione's familiar watching him. "Damn it, I wish something would finally make us break up! I hate when I'm mean to her, Crooks. She'd be so much better off with Viktor. He's always treated her the way she needs to be treated."

Crooks raised a paw and smirked knowingly.

"You have something on your paw that will work?"

Crooks winked one eye.

"Go for it, fuzzy-bum!" Ron closed his eyes when he saw the predatory gleam of glee on the old half-kneazle's face. He knew it was going to hurt, but if it could break him from this stupid evil Vow, he would be very happy.

Crooks rubbed his paw all over Ron's exposed ankle, then took a swipe with his claws for good measure.

"Bloody buggering hell!" Ron bellowed.

"Language, Ron!" chastised Hermione from the Floo.

"Your bloody cat just clawed me, and he had something on his paw from _your_ lab! And you are worried about my _language_?"

Hermione rushed over to look at his ankle. "Oh, dear."

"Right. Translating from Hermione, 'Oh, dear' means we're buggered!" Ron's rising voice revealed his fright.

"I'm sorry, Ron. I don't know what got in to Crooks. The vial he broke was one of my topical truth serum. But it isn't supposed to get into your blood stream. All my calculations said if someone got the potion into them, it might interact, um, strangely with their magic," said Hermione. To her surprise, instead of bellowing some foul words then punching the wall, Ron laughed.

"What exactly do you mean by 'strangely', love?"

"It would awaken dormant family magic. But I don't know what that means!" she cried out.

"It means that somevon whose family had hidden talents might haff those avakened," said a familiar voice from the door.

"Viktor, I'm happy to see you!" said Hermione.

"Glad you could make it, Krum," grunted Ron. Then he stood up and started circling his two startled companions. "Hmmmm."

"Ron?" asked Hermione. "What does, 'hmmmm' mean?"

"It means I can't believe my mother thinks we are meant for each other. Our magic is in opposition. We would be miserable," he answered without thinking.

"Do you vant me to leave?" asked Viktor.

"Not at all, mate. Most of us've thought you and 'Mione would be a good match. Little did we know how much!" Ron grinned.

Viktor cocked his head at the man he could have sworn hated him. "How drunk are you, Veasley?"

"Not at all. But I can see the magic now, like Grandma Prewitt! This is going to be fun!" Ron responded, his voice giddy. "Well, maybe a little bit..."

"Ronald Weasley, what do you mean about your mother?" demanded Hermione, forgetting that Ron was still under the power of the truth serum.

"She roped me into an Unbreakable Vow that I wouldn't break up with you unless you dumped me first! Ha! Your serum let me talk!" Ron grabbed hold of Viktor and started polka-ing around the kitchen.

Hermione was torn between hexing Ron, joining in the dancing or taking a picture. After a couple of seconds, she Summoned her camera and took a picture. The flash startled the dancing men, who blinked and then dragged her into the dance.

The three danced around the kitchen in a wild, three-way, kamikaze polka until they almost tripped over Neville, who was standing just inside the doorway with a bemused smile on his face.

"Oh! I didn't see you there, Neville! Come in!" said Hermione, after she caught her breath. Neville walked into the kitchen, followed by the elder Weasleys, Harry, Draco, Ginny, Luna, George, Charlie and the few others they could round up to celebrate Hermione's attainment of her Mastery.

"What are you all doing here?" she asked.

"Master Ibrizzi invited us to a celebration dinner-slash-week in Italy in your honor. I'm sure Viktor got the same invite," answered Harry.

Hermione smiled in response, then smiled wider when Viktor came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.

Molly started to say something, when Ron tripped over Luna's outstretched foot and accidentally set off his wand, which somehow just managed to cast an unspoken silencing spell.

With Molly unable to stop anyone, the group moved into the dining area at Hermione's prompting. There they found a beautiful buffet set up by Master Ibrizzi's elves.

Dinner was a raucous affair, moreso when Ron's new-found talent was revealed.

"How did you find yourself seeing magic, Ronald?" asked Luna, clearly fascinated.

"Crooks got into one of Hermione's experiments, then clawed me," he answered. Suddenly his brow furrowed and he turned to the witch of the hour. "By the way, 'Mione, how long before the truth part wears off?"

"I'm not sure, Ron. With it in your bloodstream, it can last up to twenty-four hours," she answered.

"OK," he said.

"What's wrong?" Hermione was perplexed. How did he go from a polka to this?

"You haven't officially broken up with me," he whispered.

"Ah. Got it." Hermione swung her arm back and whacked him as hard as she could. "How dare you! I told you if you ever got drunk before lunch again, I was breaking up with you! Consider us officially broken up!"

A magical flame flared up from Ron and Molly's arms, freeing him from the Vow.

Just as Molly was about to rush forward to-comfort-coerce-yell really loud-the crowd cheered.

Ginny punched her fist up in the air. "It's about time! I'm so happy for the two of you!"

Viktor hugged Hermione tightly. "Please tell me I haff a chance, luff!"

He picked her up and swung her around when she nodded yes.

Pansy rushed forward and almost tackled Ron in her enthusiasm to reach him. He picked her up and kissed her soundly.

The wail of exasperation from Molly stopped everyone short.

"That just isn't proper behavior, Ronnie," said Molly loudly.

"You mean forcing your underage son into an Unbreakable Vow over a girl you _know_ shouldn't be stuck with him is?" he asked loudly.

"I-I-I don't know what you mean, dear," said Molly, clearly nervous.

"You know exactly vhat your son means, Mrs. Veasley. You did not like that Nin was interested in me, so you played on her guilt and your son's love for you to keep us apart. That is evil," said Viktor.

"You didn't approve of me, so you wanted to make sure he stayed with Hermione," stated Pansy. Hermione's sound of dismay made the former Slytherin turn to her quickly. "Oh, hon, we've been friends for a while. I know you. Your guilt wouldn't let you break up with Ron until you had no other choice. I'm really happy that whatever happened happened."

Hermione nodded.

Arthur took everything in the way he usually did. "Molly, did you bind Ronald into an Unbreakable Vow over Hermione?"

Everyone was a bit taken aback by the anger in his voice.

"Y-yes, dear. But he started it!" she tried to claim.

"You made me a promise, many years ago, after you tried the same thing on Bill, that you would never do such a thing. And you promised on your magic. Hand over your wand, dear," he said.

Molly's magic compelled her to comply. Arthur put his arm around her and led her toward the door. "We'll be leaving now. All of you enjoy your week in Italy."

The drama over, the rest settled down to enjoy each others company and fete Hermione's accomplishment.

"Ron, what did you mean by 'we didn't know how much' in relation to Viktor and my magic?" asked Hermione.

"Some magic is in opposition, like yours and mine, see?" Ron held out his hand to take Hermione's, and seemingly willed his magic to be visible, drawing her's to the surface. It was like little fireworks bouncing off each other. "On the other hand, there is your magic and Viktor's," he said, keeping a hold of Hermione's hand and pulling Viktor over with his other hand. Their magic blended together in a sensual dance, erotic in its intensity. Both Viktor and Hermione blushed, it almost seemed like someone was watching them make love.

"Bloody hell, Ronnie! You got Grandma Prewitt's gift!" declared George, making Ron drop Viktor's hand, ending the show.

"Yeah, thanks to Crooksie's little 'accident'."

"You make that sound like the cat did it on purpose," said Ginny.

"He did!" Ron was pleased when Hermione backed him up on the cat's intelligence.

"I think that's been enough excitement for tonight. Why don't we all meet up for brunch tomorrow?" asked Draco.

The group agreed, and they all went to bed.

Had Molly seen the pairings, she might have had an apoplectic fit, so it was probably better she was gone.

Viktor walked Hermione to her door, and prepared to leave her for the evening. "Oh, no you don't, Viktor Krum. I've been waiting for you since I was fifteen. Even if all we do is sleep, you are staying with me!"

"As you vish, luff," he said. "But we haff the week. If you still feel like that by the end ov it, I promise you ve vill never be apart again."

Hermione nodded, then pointed to the bed imperiously. She knew this was just the first night of many together. She wasn't planning on letting him go either.

* * *

><p>It was a week of healing and discovery. Hermione and Ron surprised everyone by being very supportive of the other's relationship.<p>

Harry, Draco and Luna came out of the closet. Together. Triads became the new thing.

Neville decided to buy land in Italy. Ginny decided to stay with him.

At the end of it all, when Hermione and Viktor lay in bed, replete, he pulled a ring out of the robes lying over the chair next to the bed.

"Luff, this vas my grandmother's. She give it to me vhen I returned after the Yule Ball that year. She said she knew ve vould be together forefer. Vill you marry me?"

"Oh, yes, Viktor."

Both laughed when Crookshanks jumped on the bed and nuzzled the ring on Hermione's hand, looking especially pleased with himself.

* * *

><p>Written for the Bulgarian Big Bang on LJ.<p>

Prompt by MuseAmusant: Crookshanks hatches a cunning plot to remove the red-headed obstacle between his beloved mistress and his favorite Bulgarian.

Many thanks to my brilliant beta, Kyria of Delphi.


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